Antique Furniture

Today, we are reticent to add color to our wooden furniture. But craftsmen of the past did not have such inhibitions, and in most periods of furniture history, you'll find some painted and gilded features, if not entire pieces.

The painting on furniture in the Jacobean period, for example, was primarly on carving, where figures of humans and animals were painted various hues, and gilding was often lavishly applied.

William and Mary and Queen Anne painted furniture tended to be in colors of dull reds, greens and blues to match the upholstry of the piece.

Chippendale, however, is an exception, as there is so little painted furniture during the Chippendale period it's barely worth a mention. In contrast, the Brothers Adam are known best for their painted furniture, as are Hepplewhite and Sheraton.

In America, the first examples of furniture painting are to be found in New England, where chests and hutches were often adorned with flowers or foliage designs applied on natural wood or a background color.

Toward the end of the 18th century and the early 19th, the top rails of chairs and settee backs were often painted or stenciled with stiff flowery patterns, occasionally with a touch of gilding.

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